It’s not every day that American Idol prayers get answered, and so while it’s unlikely we’ll ever get a Senate hearing about Candice Glover’s confounding elimination during Season 11 Vegas Week, let’s nevertheless have a moment of thanks that she’s getting a shot at redemption this year.

Indeed, Candice’s fantastic “Syrup and Honey” was the highlight of Idol‘s second week of Season 12 auditions, but it wasn’t the only cause for celebration. On this week’s Idology, my cohost Melinda Doolittle and I take a dive into the Charlotte, NC and Baton Rouge, LA auditions and dish the multitude of divas – from a variety of genres — who’ve got us excited to see how Season 12 plays out.

Melinda and I also discuss that dustup between Nicki Minaj and the two-headed opponent of Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson, in which the candy-haired rapper barked that contestants shouldn’t be forced to come to auditions already settled on their musical genre of choice. Did she have a point? Or should she have deferred to the Dawg’s “30 years” of experience? Plus, despite Melinda’s protests, I nominate a few contestants whose Golden Tickets should be revoked. If that’s not enough, there’s a Doctor Who-Idol parallel, and references to Kristy Lee Cook, The Bachelor and a very special performance of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

So press play below on this week’s Idology, then hit the comments with your opinions. And for all my Idol news, interviews, recaps and photo galleries, follow me on Twitter @MichaelSlezakTV!